Multi-technology printing system

ABSTRACT

A system for performing substrateless and/or local donor Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT), comprising a reservoir ( 9 ) comprising at least one opening; and an energy source configured to deliver energy to a donor material within said reservoir. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the energy source is a pulsed laser. This system enables deposition of material by LIFT without any need for a donor substrate. Methods of substrateless and local donor LIFT are also disclosed.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/365,119, filed 13 Jun. 2014 under 35 U.S.C. 371 as a National Phaseapplication of International (PCT) application No. PCT/IL2013/050845,filed 21 Oct. 2013, and which claims priority from Israel Pat. Appl.Nos. 222587, 222588, and 222589, all of which were filed on 21 Oct.2012. Each of these patent applications is incorporated by reference inits entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to material printing, materialdeposition, and material distribution. More specifically the inventionrelates to new methods of laser induced forward transfer for enabling 2Dor 3D printing of various materials, distribution of a plurality ofmaterials, high resolution patterning, and improved methods of medicaltreatment and intervention, particularly in endoscopic procedures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional methods of printing as ink jet and screen printing havelimitations of feature size and even more critical limitations of thekind of materials that can be printed in a repeatable, sustainablemanner and with controlled quality.

There are many printing processes in the industry that are conductedover several sets of equipment thus limiting simplicity, accuracy, andquality of the printed platform. The integration between such systems isexpensive from the aspect of resources and processes required to achieveadequate results.

Methods of LIFT are well known in research and in the industry. LIFTconsists of a transparent substrate coated with a thin film of materialto be transferred (the “donor”), which is facing a receiver substrate,(the “acceptor”). A laser pulse locally induces a thermal excitationthat finally results in material transfer towards the acceptor.

The LIFT method can be used to transfer a rather large number ofdifferent materials, e.g. copper, nickel, aluminum, and chrome. Inrecent years laser transfer of liquid droplets was investigated boththeoretically and experimentally with special emphasis on bio-materials.The main problem of LIFT technology, essentially used in academicresearch center, is the complexity of the LIFT system, including (i) theLaser manipulation; (ii) the donor holding and supplying. This inventionovercome this inconvenience and complexity and brings LIFT means andmethod to industrial use.

Printing solutions and specifically industrial printing solutions areexecuted in many stages as material preparation, exposure andpatterning, drying, sintering and other. In existing solutions thesevarious activities are performed on various types of equipment in aproduction line. This invention further brings a comprehensive solutionthat equips several technologies built to be integrated on a singleplatform.

In medical devices, conventional systems for material applicationintroduction and otherwise distribution, such as micropipettes havelimitations of droplet size, and even more critical limitations of thekind of materials that can be distributed in a repeatable, sustainablemanner and with a controlled quality and accuracy.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT INVENTION

The current invention covers basic technology for printing, depositionand distribution of various materials, and a system perspectivecomprising these technologies in bringing a comprehensive solution forseveral applications. The basic applicable technologies to support theabove are selected in a non-limiting manner from the group consisting ofsubstrateless LIFT (SL-LIFT); Local Donor LIFT (LD-LIFT); new LIFTconcepts; advanced sintering methods; and UV curing and feedbackmechanisms.

The present invention also brings new means and methods of producing andutilizing a simple, accurate, precise and effective Substrate-Less LIFTand Local-Donor LIFT targeted, inter alia, as a medical device, avoidingthe need of a substrate enabling distribution mechanism. The presentinvention discloses a system for performing substrateless and/or localdonor Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT), wherein said systemcomprises a reservoir (9) comprising at least one opening and an energysource configured to deliver energy to a donor material within saidreservoir, thereby initiating a LIFT process.

The present invention discloses a printing, material deposition, andmaterial distribution system, characterized by: one or more printingheads, each of which comprises at least one distributor that distributesmaterial by substrateless LIFT (SL-LIFT) and/or Local Donor LIFT(LD-LIFT) method; one or more material reservoirs, each of whichcontains or in connection with at least one material to be fed by saidprinting head in a continuous manner; and one or more energy sources inconnection with said one or more reservoirs; and at least one energysource is adapted to generate said LIFT process. The present inventionfurther discloses a method of printing and material deposition by meansof said system.

The present invention discloses a printing, material deposition, andmaterial distribution system, as defined in any of the above, whereinlaser operation parameters are selected from the group consisting of PW,PRF, power, pulse shape and other parameters can be controlled. Thepresent invention further discloses a method of printing and materialdistributing by means of said system.

The present invention discloses a printing, material deposition, andmaterial distribution system, as defined in any of the above, whereinthe laser source is distributed to several waveguides submerged in thereservoir, and act each as an individual jetting apparatus.

The present invention discloses a printing, material deposition, andmaterial distribution system, as defined in any of the above, whereinthe laser is distributed by an energy distribution mechanism distributesthe energy to at least one waveguide and at a time division or powerdivision mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system usefulfor high throughput, high resolution, printing of materials anddistribution of materials, the system comprising: at least one reservoirof the printing material; a transparent substrate within said reservoir,said cylindrical is adapted to rotate in said reservoir; by means ofsaid rotation, the cylinder is coated by the printed material; in thecylinder—a folding and a scanning mirror and optics that focus theenergy on the substrate and in the position that the material is at theopening on the reservoir.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system usefulfor high throughput, high resolution, printing of materials anddistribution of materials, the system comprising: at least one reservoirof the printing material; at least one local donor within saidreservoir.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the cylindrical element rotates and transfersthrough continues steps of the lift process, coating, energy pulse,jetting and recoating.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the system is operable in one or more of fourmodes of operation; namely, printing, filling, cleaning and patterning.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the laser parameters are selected from the groupconsisting of PW, PRF, power, and pulse shape.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the laser is distributed by an energydistribution mechanism which distribute the energy to at least onewaveguide and at a time division or power division mechanism

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein a sequence of pulses, PWs or PRRs is generated toreceive adequate distributing parameters according to the application,material and process.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein an intermediate plate of thermal conductingmaterial is coated on the transparent cylinder.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein an optical element, selected from the groupconsisting of lens, mirror, filter and scanning element is added at theend of the waveguide thereby improving energy distribution.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the waveguide has a graded index element thatfocuses and improve the beam quality in order to improve jettingquality.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the waveguide is a single mode fiber, a multimodefiber, or graded index fiber.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the reservoir walls are heated by an electricalcurrent.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the reservoir is cooled by a cooling mechanismselected from the group consisting of thermo-electric cooler, heatpipes, and any mechanism useful to achieve longer shelve life of thematerial.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the material is heated by a heater selected fromthe group consisting of an energy source, CW laser, pulsed laser and anyeffective mechanism that heats the material locally in the reservoir.

The present invention discloses a printing, material deposition, andmaterial distribution system, as defined in any of the above, wherein atleast a portion of the walls of the reservoir and/or its opening iscoated by a hydrophobic material, or is a wetted by a wetting layer, ortreated by elevated or reduced temperature thereby surface shapeparameters are controlled.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the system further comprising one or more of thefollowing: multiple reservoirs; at least one waveguide in eachreservoir; multiple energy sources; multiple central reservoirs with atleast one material; a feedback, calibration and synchronizationmechanism; and an adjustable mounting mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the feedback mechanism supports calibration,synchronization, alignment and process control of the system.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the alignment screws enable θy, θz and θxalignment.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein the sensor acquires a printed target that hasbeen printed on a different system or a target printed by this system inthe same session.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, further comprising a sensor which measures the dimensionsand other parameters of the printing and feedbacks to process control orto sintering or curing system.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, further comprising one or more energy sources, especiallya pulsed laser distributed to one or more print-heads.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, further comprising one or more energy sources with anenergy distribution mechanism that distributes the energy to one or morereservoirs; each source can be distributed to one or many reservoirs andthe later can receive energy from other sources.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a continuous LIFTprinting, material deposition, and material distribution system asdefined above, wherein each reservoir or printing head may receivematerial from any of the material main reservoir sources.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a method as definedabove, wherein the method further comprising a step of patterning thematerial; said patterning is selected from one or more members of thegroup consisting of trimming, disconnecting and otherwise changing theshape of jetted material.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a method as definedabove, wherein the method further comprising a step of providing afeedback mechanism selected from the group consisting of a sensor, arrayof sensors, cameras, a source and detector, and any combination thereof.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a method as definedabove, wherein the method further comprising a step of providingtemperature regulation; temperature of the reservoir(s) is controlled bya heating mechanism and/or by a thermoelectric heater/cooler, thusreceiving adequate material properties for printing, shelf lifeimprovement and process stability.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a method as definedabove, wherein the method further comprising a step of providing acleaning mechanism, adapted to clean the said waveguides, or the saidenergy sources, thereby improving energy and printing efficiency andquality.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT andLD-LIFT printing, material deposition, and material distribution systemcomprising the following modules: (a) a LIFT-based depositing mechanismthat which distributes or deposits materials without utilizing asubstrate; (b) one or more reservoirs for various materials, each ofsaid materials feeds the deposition head continuously, semi continuouslyor in a batch-wise manner; and (c) an energy source and means tointroduce or otherwise apply energy produced by said energy source tothe material in said reservoir, thereby generating the LIFT process.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined above, wherein the energy source is selected in a non-limitingmanner form a laser, an electric arc, a resistor element and any otherpinpoint energy source.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined in any of the above, wherein laser parameters, such as PW, PRF,power, pulse shape and other parameters are controllable.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined in any of the above, additionally composing an energydistribution mechanism, which distribute the energy, e.g., the laser, toat least one waveguide at either mechanisms of time division or powerdivision.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined in any of the above, additionally comprising at least one arcreceiver, wherein said at least one electric arc receiver which receivespower from one or more signal generators. The parameters that controlthe production of said arc are selected in a non-limiting manner fromthe group consisting of power, such as energy parameters, pulseduration, pulse shape, pulse frequency and any combination thereof.

The present invention discloses a printing, material deposition, andmaterial distribution system, as defined in any of the above, wherein atleast one resisting element receives power from a signal generator thatcontrols parameters of the power, said parameters are selected from thegroup consisting of energy, pulse duration and frequency.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a LIFT system asdefined in any of the above, wherein a sequence selected from the groupconsisting of pulses, pulse widths, and PRRs is generated to receiveadequate distributing parameters according to the application, materialand process.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined in any of the above, wherein the dimensions of the opening ofthe reservoir are fixable or adaptable and wherein the opening has anOPEN configuration and a CLOSED configuration and wherein said CLOSEDconfiguration adapted to support the filling process.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined in any of the above, wherein the opening of the reservoir can beclosed to support the process of filling by an adjustable openingmechanism or by a plug connected to the energy element.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined in any of the above, wherein at least one of the following isheld true: (i) the reservoir is in thermal connection with aheating/cooling module; and (ii) the walls of the reservoir areheated/cooled by an electrical current to provide an adequate viscosityof the material in the reservoir.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined in any of the above, wherein the material is heated by one ormore members of the group consisting of thermo-electric coolers, Peltiermodule, heat pipes, CW laser, pulsed laser and any combination thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to present a SL-LIFT asdefined in any of the above, wherein the opening of the reservoir orwalls of the reservoir in connection with said opening are at leastpartially coated by one or more hydrophilic or hydrophobic materials,treated by wetting, maintained in a defined temperature or anycombination thereof, thus controlling surface shape parameters.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT adapted to provide high throughput, high resolution, sequenceddeposition of materials.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein said system comprisesthe following: (a) at least one reservoir comprising a distributablematerial; (b) at least one tube filled with said material; (c) awaveguide or other energy source which is submerged in the reservoir;(d) a tube adapted to be embedded in or onto a medical device, saidmedical device can comprise one or more illumination and acquisitionfibers; and (e) pulsed laser which generates the LIFT process in saidmedical device.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein the deposition isoperated at a predefined rate over a predefined time span.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein said system isoperatable in one or more modes selected from the group consisting of aoperation mode, deposition mode, filling mode, cleaning and patterningmode or any combination or sequence thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein the energy source is alaser.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein the laser parameters areselected from the group consisting of PW, PRF, power, and pulse shape.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein the laser is distributedby an energy distribution mechanism which distributes the energy to atleast one waveguide, by means of either a time division or powerdivision mechanisms.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein the aforesaid sequenceof pulses, PWs and PRRs are generated to receive adequate depositionparameters according to the application, material and process.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein an intermediate plate,at least partially made or at least partially comprising one or morethermal conducting materials, is coated on, immersed, doped, orotherwise incorporated on or into the transparent cylinder.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein an optical element, suchas a lens, mirror, filter or a scanning element is either added to orconnected with the end of the waveguide, thereby improving energydistribution.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein the waveguide comprisesa graded index element which focuses and/or improves the beam quality,thereby improving jetting quality.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein the reservoir is cooledby a cooler selected from the group consisting of a thermo-electriccooler, Peltier module, heat pipes and any other cooling mechanismadapted to provide longer shelve life of the material.

It is another object of the present invention to present a continuousSL-LIFT as defined in any of the above, wherein the material is heatedby an effective energy source, such as a CW laser, pulsed laser and anyother mechanism that heats the material locally within the reservoir.

It is another object of the present invention to present an SL-LIFTdistribution or deposition head apparatus useful for material embeddingin a medical device; wherein said SL-LIFT is as defined in any of theabove; and wherein said integrated apparatus comprises (a) A setconsisting of multiple reservoirs; (b) At least one waveguide locatedwithin or in communication with each reservoir; (c) Multiple energysources; (d) Multiple central reservoirs with at least one material; (e)A feedback, calibration and synchronization mechanism.

It is another object of the present invention to present an SL-LIFTdistribution or deposition head apparatus useful for material embeddingin a medical device; wherein a feedback mechanism supports thecalibration, synchronization, alignment and process control of thesystem.

It is another object of the present invention to present an SL-LIFTdistribution or deposition head apparatus useful for material embeddingin a medical device; wherein the sensor is adapted to both (i) acquirethe target that the material has to be deposited on; and (ii) to receivea feedback after deposition.

It is another object of the present invention to present an SL-LIFTdistribution or deposition head apparatus useful for material embeddingin a medical device; additionally comprising at least one sensor which(i) measures the dimensions and distribution; and (ii) feedback input toa process control module.

It is another object of the present invention to present a medicaldevice comprising a LIFT system adapted to embed a predefined materialwithin or onto patient's body. This LIFT system is utilizable withoutthe necessity to prepare a substrate prior to distributing the material.

It is an object of the present invention to disclose a LIFT method andsystems comprised of a tube used as a reservoir of the required materialan energy source as light source, laser, heating filament or other and amechanism to bring the energy in to the tube at the required position.

It is an object of the present invention to disclose a LIFT method andsystems wherein the energy required to displace the material from end ofthe tube can be energy distributed by a waveguide inserted in the tubeat a precise distance from the surface.

It is an object of the present invention to disclose a LIFT method andsystems wherein the waveguide is movable in the z-axis by a meansselected from piezoelectric, magnetic, mechanic, and robotic mechanism,each of which is adapted to set the distance of the energy waveguidefrom the surface of the material with the ambient environment.

It is an object of the present invention to disclose a LIFT method andsystems above wherein one or more waveguides or other energy mechanismsare translatable vertically in and out the reservoir thereby improvingquality and stability of the distribution process.

It is an object of the present invention to disclose a LIFT method andsystems above wherein one or many waveguides adapted to receive energyfrom several energy sources; said sources are regulated by parametersselected from a group consisting of a CW, pulsed laser, two or morepulsed lasers of equal or different operational parameters and anycombination thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to disclose a LIFT method andsystems above wherein the temperature of the material in the tube iscontrolled by a heating mechanism and or by a thermoelectric cooler,thereby receiving adequate material properties for deposition, shelflife improvement and process stability.

It is an object of the present invention to present a cleaning mechanismof the waveguide or energy source to improve energy and depositionefficiency and quality.

It is an object of the present invention to present a waveguide with oneor more members of the group consisting of optics, lenses, mirrors,coatings and any optical element adapted to improve distribution qualityaccuracy, throughput and any other distribution parameters.

It is an object of the present invention to present a preventivemechanism selected from the group consisting of coating, wetting,rotation, movement on and of the waveguide, and any other energy sourceadapted to improve energy and deposition efficiency and quality.

It is an object of the present invention to present an LIFT method andsystem with a tube adapted to be filled with a material in a manner thatthere is no need to disassemble or remove distributing head.

It is an object of the present invention to present an LIFT method andsystem comprising one or more reservoirs that are fed by either acentral reservoir or a plurality of reservoirs with one or moredifferent materials.

It is an object the present invention to present a LIFT method andsystem with feedback and control based on illumination; the systemcomprises one or more sensors targeted on the point of distribution or afeedback received from the laser source.

It is an object the present invention to present method producing aSL-LIFT system, said method comprising steps of: providing a SL-LIFT orLD-LIFT deposition head; integrating therein one or more reservoirs forvarious materials; providing each of said materials in solid or liquidconnection with said deposition head; integrating an energy sourcetherein; and providing energy transfer means for applying energy to saidmaterial in said reservoir thereby generating a LIFT process. In someembodiments, the method additionally comprises providing at least onetube adapted to be embedded in or onto a medical device; and fillingsaid at least one tube with said material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order better to understand the invention and its implementation inpractice, a plurality of embodiments will now be described, by way ofnon-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the conventional LIFT process known inthe prior art;

FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically illustrate a general and a close-up view,respectively, of a substrateless LIFT (SL-LIFT) system according to oneembodiment of the invention herein disclosed;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates one embodiment of a five step SL-LIFTmethod according to one embodiment of the invention herein disclosed;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a non-limiting example of an energyprofile provided by an energy source during the course of an SL-LIFTprocess according to one embodiment of the invention herein disclosed;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates one non-limiting embodiment of theinvention herein disclosed in which the system comprises a plurality ofenergy transfer means;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a method of a high speed printingprocess according to the invention herein disclosed in which a waveguideis translated vertically during the course of the process;

FIGS. 7A-7C schematically illustrate non-limiting embodiments of the endtip of the waveguide in which it has been treated to improve the systemperformance, comprising addition of a local intermediate layer, additionof a lens, and addition of Graded Index (GRIN) material, respectively;

FIGS. 8A and 8B schematically illustrate overall and close-up views,respectively, of one non-limiting embodiment of the SL-LIFT systemherein disclosed, in which the system comprises a rotating cylinder;

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates one non-limiting embodiment of aprinting head according to one non-limiting embodiment of the inventionherein disclosed, in which the system comprises a plurality of energysources, a plurality of energy transfer means, a plurality of materialfeeders, and a mounting alignment mechanism;

FIG. 10 schematically illustrates a system with a plurality of printingheads according to one non-limiting embodiment of the invention hereindisclosed;

FIGS. 11A and 11B schematically illustrate-non-limiting sequences,respectively, for use of the system herein disclosed;

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates the control systems and interfaces ofthe system herein disclosed;

FIG. 13 schematically illustrates feedback mechanisms added on to aprinting head according to one non-limiting embodiment of the inventionherein disclosed;

FIG. 14 schematically illustrates a calibration sequence for the systemherein disclosed;

FIG. 15 schematically illustrates sintering and patterning headsaccording to one embodiment of the system herein disclosed;

FIG. 16 schematically illustrates the steps of a sintering processaccording to one embodiment of the invention herein disclosed;

FIG. 17 schematically illustrates one embodiment of the invention hereindisclosed in which a plurality of modules are combined into a singlesystem;

FIG. 18 schematically illustrates (not to scale) one non-limitingembodiment of a full LIFT system according to the invention hereindisclosed;

FIGS. 19A-19C present the local-donor LIFT concept according to theinvention herein disclosed by illustrating schematically systems knownin the art (FIG. 19A), what in principle would happen if the substratewere reduced in size to the point where only that part of the substrateand donor material heated by the laser remained (FIG. 19B), and onenon-limiting embodiment of the present invention in which donor materialis embedded in or is part of the reservoir or flows through it (FIG.19C); and,

FIG. 20 schematically illustrates a micro-tube LIFT system according toone non-limiting embodiment of the invention herein disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, various aspects of the invention will bedescribed. For the purposes of explanation, specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. Itwill be apparent to one skilled in the art that there are otherembodiments of the invention that differ in details without affectingthe essential nature thereof. Therefore the invention is not limited bythat which is illustrated in the figures and described in thespecification and examples, but only as indicated in the accompanyingclaims, with the proper scope determined only by the broadestinterpretation of said claims.

The following abbreviations are used herein. “PW” is used to represent“pulse width”; “PRR” is used to represent “pulse repetition rate”; “PRF”is used to represent “pulse repetition frequency”; “LIFT” is used torepresent “laser-induced forward transfer”; “LD-LIFT” is used torepresent “local donor laser-induced forward transfer”; and “SL-LIFT” isused to represent “substrateless laser-induced forward transfer.”

The term “calibration” is used herein to refer to the accuracy andorientation of the head in the system; and to the calibration of headparameters such as laser power, laser PW, laser PRF, heating and coolingtemperatures, speed of movement of the waveguide, etc.

The term “medical device” refers herein to an instrument, apparatus,implant, in vitro reagent, or other similar or related article that isintended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or inthe cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or intendedto affect the structure or any function of the body and which does notachieve any of its primary intended purposes through chemical actionwithin or on the body or by being metabolized. Non-limiting examples of“medical devices” according to this definition include devices such asendoscopes and laparoscopes; pipettes and micropipettes; catheters;infusion equipment; recycling systems for biological fluids; implantedfeeding tubes; irrigators; delivery systems for drugs, medicaments,biological molecules, nutrients, inorganic compounds, etc.; implantablepumps and tubing thereof; intradural drug injection and feeding systems;in situ delivery modules for neurological drugs and neurotransmitters;markers and biomarkers and derivatives thereof; contrast agents; etc.

In addition to the invention of the single head substrate-less waveguideLIFT, two additional system concepts are provided for methods andsystems for printing. The first of these relates to a multi-head devicewhere the device comprises a plurality of heads; in some embodiments,these systems comprise a plurality of multi-head devices. The secondconcept is a system that combines at least two of the four basictechnologies defined above, integrating them into a single apparatus.This integrated technology provides a single comprehensive solution forprocesses that in require several independent machines in the printingmethods known in the art.

In one embodiment of the invention, a system is disclosed in which oneor more materials are jetted onto the required substrate at specificdimensions. If required, excess material can be removed, textured,processed or patterned to a predefined size and shape utilizingpredefined retrievable data. In another embodiment of the invention, amethod of jetting and processing the material is disclosed.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a system is disclosed,wherein other treatments to the material is activated by e.g., the thirdor fourth component of the combined head, thus completing a fullprinting process.

It is within the scope of the invention to disclose a system and methodof swapping. The term “swapping” refers herein to selecting one sequenceof operation steps from two or more different sequences of steps.

It is within the scope of the invention to disclose a printing systembased on SL-LIFT and/or LD LIFT and/or LIFT that can be used as asintering and/or drying system with a laser-based sintering head and/ora curing head.

A printing system based on SL-LIFT and/or LD LIFT and/or LIFT isdisclosed that combines or integrates two or more technologies selected,in a non-limiting manner, from patterning, curing and sintering. Thetechnologies may be used together in any sequence. In some embodiments,the system additionally comprises a feedback mechanism. In someembodiments, the feedback mechanism comprises technologies such as asensor, array of sensors, cameras, a source and detector; any otherfeedback mechanism(s) known in the art may be used. In some embodiments,the system additionally comprises methods for one or more ofcalibrating, registering and synchronizing.

The printing system herein disclosed can be used for any printingtechnologies known in the art. Non-limiting examples include inkjet,screen printing, or exposure based patterning systems.

In some embodiments, the system comprises (i) at least one reservoir, atleast one of said reservoirs at least partially filled by a material,(ii) at least one energy source, said light source is selected in anon-limiting manner form one or more members of a group consisting of:one or more lasers; one or more heating filaments; any other suitablemechanism and applicable means adapted to bring a required energy intosaid reservoir at a required location; and any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, multiple independent energy sources are used. Inpreferred embodiments, these energy sources are selected from the groupconsisting of continuous wave (CW) lasers; and pulsed lasers. In otherembodiments, the multiple independent energy sources may also comprise alocal low-power laser for each printing head, each laser comprising again mechanism such as a ytterbium fiber.

In some embodiments, the temperature of the reservoir(s) is controlledby a heating mechanism and/or by a thermoelectric heater/cooler, thusimproving the donor material's properties for printing, shelf life,and/or stability.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one waveguidewith additional optics such as lenses, mirrors, coatings, or otheroptical elements.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a reservoir that canbe filled in such way as to reduce or eliminate any need to disassembleor remove the printing head.

In some embodiments, the system comprises a plurality of reservoirs. Theplurality of reservoirs may be a multi compartment reservoir; aplurality of independent reservoirs; or a sequence or train ofreservoirs in fluid connection and fed by one or more centralreservoirs. In some embodiments, the plurality of reservoirs are influid connection with one or more printing heads.

A comprehensive printing solution head is presented herein. The head isadapted to be mounted on a system in the same manner that an inkjetprinting head is integrated in a printing system. The multi-technologyprinting head is integrated in a system with accessories as lasers,material reservoirs, control and electronics systems, adjustablemechanical interface and other accessories needed to operate thesystem's technology heads. The multi-technology head software interfacesby a predefined interface control document (ICD) to the platform'ssoftware. The control is a part of operating system and calibration andmaintenance system. Hence for example, the control mechanism is adaptedto be responsible for scanning modules in the patterning head andsintering head; and is set to operate in synchronization with thejetting head according to the aforesaid calibration. In someembodiments, the multi-technology head includes an SL LIFT and/or LDLIFT head with one or more of the following: another SL LIFT head,sintering head, patterning head, an UV curing head and any combinationthereof.

The systems and methods in the present invention are based on thephysical phenomena of standard LIFT material distribution. Reference isnow made to FIG. 1, illustrating schematically the LIFT process as it isknown in the prior art: a transparent substrate (1) is coated with athin film of the transferred material (3, the “donor”). A layer of donormaterial 3 faces the receiver substrate (7, the “acceptor”). There maybe an intermediate layer between the substrate and donor layers. A laserpulse (4) induces a local thermal excitation that results in rapid heattransfer to the donor material, generating a gas bubble (5) at thepredefined focus point. The gas bubble rapidly travels to the surfaceand injects a droplet (6) from the boundary between the donor materialand the ambient environment to the surface of the acceptor.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which illustrates schematically (not toscale) one embodiment of the improved LIFT system disclosed in thepresent invention. Unlike LIFT systems and methods known in the art, inthe present invention, the donor material itself is used as the donorsubstrate. FIG. 2A provides a general illustration of the system. Areservoir (9) contains the donor material (10). An energy source ormeans for transferring energy from an energy source is disposed so as tobe able to transfer energy to the donor material within the reservoir.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the energy source is a laser externalto the reservoir, the light from which is transferred to the donormaterial via a waveguide (8). Any other appropriate energy source knownin the art can be used, however. Non-limiting examples of energy sourcesused in embodiments of the invention not illustrated in FIG. 2 includean electric arc or electronic resistance mechanism. The reservoircomprises at least one opening 9 b that enables material to exit. Whilethe size of the opening is not critical to the operation of the system,in typical embodiments, it much larger than nozzles in typical inkjetprinting heads. The increased size of the opening relative to thosetypically found in inkjet printing heads enables flow of large particlesand of viscous materials without clogging the system. In preferredembodiments, the opening's largest dimension D4 (or diameter inembodiments in which it is circular) is at least 100 μm, and may rangeup to several mm. In order to enable refilling of the reservoir withoutloss of material during the refilling, in preferred embodiments, thereservoir is provided with a stopper 9 a.

In some embodiments of the invention, one or more heating and/or coolingmechanisms are in thermal connection with the reservoir. The viscosityof the material is controlled via heating of the material, while coolingcan improve the shelf life of the material. In preferred embodiments ofthe invention, the heating mechanism is selected from the groupconsisting of resistive heating by at least one electrical filament,laser energy, and resistive heating from electrical current flowingthrough the reservoir walls; any other heating mechanism known in theart may be used as well. In preferred embodiments of the invention, thecooling mechanism is selected from the group consisting ofthermoelectric coolers such as a Peltier module, heat pipes, and fluidflowing through the reservoir walls; any other cooling mechanism knownin the art may be used as well.

The reservoir may be constructed from any of a variety of materials.Non-limiting examples of suitable materials for construction of thereservoir include plastics such as poly- and oligo-carbonates, metalsand metal-containing compositions; and organic and inorganiccompositions. Materials such as plastics that enable printing of acidmaterials are used in preferred embodiments.

The size of the opening of the reservoir (D4) can be adjustable orfixed. Adjustment of the opening of the reservoir enables control of themeniscus curvature in relation to the type of material, viscosity andrequired printing parameters. In some embodiments, control of themeniscus curvature is achieved by electro-wetting of the walls, heatingof the material, heating or coating the walls of the opening, or acombination thereof. Control of the meniscus curvature is essential inorder to receive uniform droplet properties from each energy source. Insome embodiments of the invention, a vacuum or partial vacuum in thereservoir controls the boundary of the surface with the ambientenvironment.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2B, which provides a close-up (not toscale) view of the LIFT process as it is performed in the novel systemof the present invention. The distal end of the energy source is placedat a distance D1 from the reservoir opening; in general, the energysource will be submerged in the donor material. D2 represents theoverall width of the energy source, while D3 the width of the core(active area, e.g. the waveguide in cases in which the energy source isa laser). Upon application of energy, a gas bubble 11 is generated inthe donor material. If a receiver substrate is placed facing opening 9b, an SL-LIFT process will occur in which the energy source in thereservoir acts as the donor substrate, without any necessity for aseparate donor substrate.

The parameters of the energy applied to the donor material arecontrollable by a central mechanism, such as a laser with controllablePRR, PW, power, and rise time, an electrical pulse generator connectedto the arc, and/or a resistance element. These embodiments can compriseone or more additional or alternative energy sources, such as a CWlaser, electronic heater element, or any other heating module known inthe art, that heat the material and thus modify its viscosity to a valueadequate for the required printing parameters. In addition to control ofthe energy and viscosity, control of D1, the distance between the end ofthe energy source and the surface of the material, adds degrees offreedom setting droplet size and frequency of the process.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, illustrating in a non-limiting mannerand not to scale a one embodiment of an SL-LIFT process that can beperformed using the system disclosed herein. The process illustrated inFIG. 3 is referred to herein as the “five step SL-LIFT process.” In step1, a pulse of energy is applied from the energy source, causing a gasbubble to form (step 2). In step 3, the gas bubble forces donor materialtoward the reservoir opening 9 h. Jetting, i.e. the bubble and donormaterial exit the reservoir and encounter the receiver substrate, occursin step 4. Finally, in step 5, donor material from within the reservoirrefreshes the interface. The frequency with which these steps can berepeated in a system comprising a single energy transfer means (e.g. asingle waveguide) will depend on the system refresh time, which dependson the properties of the material (e.g. viscosity, surface tension,etc.) and on the waveguide parameters (D1, D3).

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, illustrating a qualitative energyprofile for the deposition of energy as a function of time during oneembodiment of an SL-LIFT process performed by using one embodiment ofthe system disclosed herein. As shown in the figure, it is possible todecrease the refresh time by preheating the material prior toapplication of the pulsed laser energy, by application of a heat sourcesuch as a continuous wave (CW) laser or quasi-CW laser, in order toprovide local heating of the material before pulse energy required forthe SL-LIFT process itself. In this way one can produce a localreduction in the viscosity and the surface tension of the donor materialbefore the jetting. This SL-LIFT process leads to a decreased refreshtime of the material and an increased frequency. Moreover, throughput ofthe system increases and hence enables an additional degree of freedomin controlling and managing the droplet volume.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5, which illustrates schematically (not toscale) one reservoir in an embodiment of the system herein disclosed inwhich the system comprises at least one reservoir into which a pluralityof energy sources or energy transfer means (e.g. a plurality ofwaveguides) have been introduced. In the particular embodimentillustrated in the figure, energy is transferred from a single energysource 15 such as a laser to energy distribution head 14. The energydistribution head can divide the input energy into N parts, or candistribute the energy in time, e.g. by diverting the energy sequentiallyto each of the energy transfer means 13. In the case in which the energysource is a laser or lasers, the energy transfer means can be aplurality of N waveguides. The energy is then transferred simultaneouslyor sequentially to the donor material 10. Donor material removed fromthe reservoir is replaced by material stored in a material feeder (16)that is in fluid connection with the reservoir.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6, illustrating a sequence of steps for anSL-LIFT process performed in the system herein disclosed according toone embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, thesystem and method herein disclosed enable filling the reservoir withoutany necessity for disassembly and assembly of the apparatus of which thereservoir is a part, e.g. a printing head, or for extracting theapparatus from the location in which it has been place, e.g. in the caseof a tube implanted in situ in the body of a patient or in online fluidconnection with an organ of patient's body.

As shown in FIG. 6, in preferred embodiments, the reservoir opening isclosed while the reservoir is being filled in order that material willnot flow out of the reservoir. In preferred embodiments of theinvention, the opening can be opened and closed by control of theadjustable opening mentioned above, or by manipulation of a plug orstopper (9 a) connected to the waveguide. In embodiments such as the oneshown in FIG. 6 in which the plug is physically attached to thewaveguide, vertical motion of the waveguide will bring the plug intoposition to seal the reservoir opening. Additionally or alternatively,any other mechanical plug that can be electrically or vacuum controlledsuch as mechanical plugs, solenoids, and vacuum controllers, can beused.

In the SL-LIFT process, in contrast to standard LIFT, throughput is alsoderived from the refresh rate, in addition to the laser PRR and otherparameters. The refresh rate is controlled by the viscosity of thematerial, as stated above regarding the heating; additionally oralternatively, it can be controlled by movement of the waveguide, anelectric arc, or other energy transfer mechanism. Mechanical movement,such as a stirring in a lateral movement, applying ultrasonic vibration,etc., can be used to increase the refresh rate.

Reference is now made to FIG. 7, illustrating (not to scale)non-limiting embodiments of the end tip of the waveguide in which it hasbeen treated to improve the system performance and enable additionalcapabilities. A local intermediate layer 18 can be provided (FIG. 7A) byany method known in the art such as coating or gluing. An intermediatelayer made of material with higher thermal conductivity than that of thewaveguide will improve the efficiency of the heat transfer relative to awaveguide that lacks the intermediate layer, and also enables depositionof materials that are transparent at the output wavelength of the laser.

Cleaning of the energy transfer means is essential, since residualmaterial may accumulate on its distal end, degrading system performance.In some embodiments, coating of the end tip with hydrophobic material,or shaping of the end, is performed as a preventive measure. In somepreferred embodiments, mechanical cleaning of the tip is performed, forexample, by extending the tip and brushing off excess material with anautomatic or semi-automatic mechanism.

In some embodiments of the invention, passive components are added tothe tip of the waveguide. FIG. 7B presents a schematic illustration of awaveguide to which a lens (19) has been added. FIG. 7C presents aschematic illustration of a waveguide tip to which Graded Index (GRIN)material (19 a) has been added. In other embodiments, not shown in FIG.7, plates are added to assist focusing and to provide improved lighttransfer to the material. Active components as MEMS and micro mirrorscan be used to scan and distribute the energy at various locations onthe meniscus and in the extracted state of the waveguide can be used topattern, ablate and sinter the printed material.

Reference is now made to FIG. 8, presenting a non-limiting schematicillustration (not to scale) of another embodiment of the SL-LIFT systemdisclosed in the present invention, an overall view of which is providedin FIG. 8A. In this embodiment, the system comprises a transparentrotatable cylinder (20) submerged in the reservoir; energy transfermeans (e.g. a waveguide) (22) that transfers the energy to the donormaterial, a scanning mechanism (23), such as Galvo, MEMS, micro mirroror other scanning apparatus that directs the energy to a predeterminedspot on the surface of the cylinder; and a mechanism for heating andcooling. As the cylinder rotates, it is coated with donor material,analogous to gravure printing, so that fresh material is continuallypresented to the energy transfer means. A close-up view of the scanningmechanism, the energy transfer means, and the rotatable cylinderpresented in FIG. 8B. In this embodiment of the system, the SL-LIFTprocess comprises (1) coating of the cylinder with donor material byrotation in the reservoir; (2) providing an energy pulse when a coatedarea reaches the floor of the reservoir, thereby initiating the LIFTprocess; and (3) removing and recoating the cylinder with donor materialas it continues to rotate.

In another embodiment of the invention, the cylindrical LIFT mechanismprovides a dual technology head, serving both as an ablation patterninghead and a printing head. One mode of operating said dual head iscleaning any material coating the cylinder; focusing energy on theprinted substrate, which is possible because no material is coated onthe cylinder; and scanning with the scanning mechanism (23) and removingor patterning according to predefined data.

Reference is now made to FIG. 9, which illustrates (not to scale) anSL-LIFT printing head comprising the rotating cylinder illustrated inFIG. 8. This printing head incorporates an advanced LIFT means, at leastone first energy source (25) and at least one second energy source (30);an energy distribution mechanism (26) that is configured to receive theenergy output of the energy sources and distribute it to the donormaterial (see FIG. 5), at least one first material feeding source (27)in fluid connection with the reservoir, at least one second materialfeeding source (31) in fluid connection with the reservoir, anadjustable mechanical interface (28) configured to manipulate and fixthe tilt and orientation of the printing head, and a feedback mechanismto control the printing process.

Reference is now made to FIG. 10, providing a non-limiting schematicillustration of another embodiment of a printing head according to thepresent invention. A plurality of N printing heads are mounted on asystem and have interfaces to the energy distribution system (26), thematerial feeding source or sources (27), the electronics of theplatform, the control mechanism of the platform and the platformsoftware. The system interfaces are described in detail below.

One non-limiting example of a method of use of the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 10 is as follows. A printing target (31 a) ismounted on an x, y, z precision stage (31 b) which brings the target toa predetermined position under the printing head. As there is aplurality of independent reservoirs, each head can hold a differentmaterial. If, for example, the system is being used to produce a printedcircuit, a plurality of conductive lines is printable in a predefinedaccurate orientation. Specific points of a non-conductive material arethen printable, e.g., in an orthogonal orientation, thus providing anx-y grid of printed lines provided on one platform and by a singleprocess. For such applications as 3D printing, N layers of up to Ndifferent materials can be printed in a single operation with or withoutcomplementary processes, such as patterning, sintering, or curing.

Material flow to the head reservoir is controlled by and supplied fromthe main material feeding system (27) or systems (27, 31) containing thevarious materials. The system controls the flow. In some embodiments ofthe invention, filling of the reservoir is achieved by use of stopper 9a (FIG. 2); in embodiments comprising a cylindrical head, the cylinderis moved into position to close the reservoir's opening in order toenable filling of the reservoir.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, mechanical control of thesystem is an integrated module of the commercially available inkjetprinting heads. The orientation towards the platform is adjustable e.g.,by means of a screw mechanism (28). Degrees of freedom are angles θy andθz. θx is mechanically aligned due to larger tolerances. The mechanicalinterface enables interface, communication, compatibility andintegration with the other components of the multi technology head, theLIFT system (SL-LIFT, LD-LIFT, or other LIFT), the patterning head, thesintering head, UV curing head, thereby establishing a combinedmulti-technology united head. In systems where accuracy and resolutionare less critical, the head is fixed to the system without the degreesof freedom for alignment.

Reference is now made to FIG. 11, which presents non-limiting examplesof a number process step sequences that are possible using the apparatusillustrated in FIG. 10. Four non-limiting examples of basic sequencesare illustrated in FIG. 11A. These basic sequences illustrate thatunlike systems known in the art, the system of the present invention iscapable of providing multiple technologies such as jetting, patterning,and sintering/drying in a single instrument rather than having toprovide separate instruments for each process. Three non-limitingexamples of complex sequences are illustrated in FIG. 11B. In ComplexSequence #1, N materials are jetted, followed by patterning andsintering or drying. In Complex Sequence #2, N layers of differentmaterials are printed with complementary processes in between. Acombination of these processes is illustrated by Complex Sequence #3.

Reference is now made to FIG. 12, which provides a schematicillustration of the various system interfaces and control mechanisms.The control system operates according one or more of the following: dataand material data provided from a feedback mechanism, predefinedmaterial information which comprises inter alia droplet size anddimensions, material types etc. The control system further adapted (i)to receive data from the feedback mechanism for the process control; and(ii) to tune droplet parameters, such as speed, power, etc. The controlsystem can further be set to control the movement of energy sources,scanning mirrors, optics, temperature cooling and heating, timing,cleaning according to feedback etc.

The control system of the head receives pattern data and material datafrom the platform and transforms it to coordinates and parametersrequired by the printing head. Non-limiting examples of such parametersinclude line dimensions; locations and orientation of the lines; lineheight, width, length, shape and line space; the type of material beingused; and parameters determining whether or not patterning, sintering,or UV curing is required. The control system is also configured toreceive data from the feedback mechanism for process control the processand for tuning of printing parameters such as speed and power.Non-limiting examples of system functions that may be controlled by thecontrol system in preferred embodiments include the movement of theenergy source, movement and positioning of the scanning mirror, movementand positioning of the optics, the temperature to be provided by theheating or cooling system, timing of cleaning, and the feedbackmechanism.

Material flow to the reservoir is remotely controllable; material issupplied from a main material feeding system retaining one or morematerials.

The electrical interface supplies power, inter alia, to the distributinghead mechanism, and controls mirrors, fibers, heating and coolingmechanisms, reservoir operation etc. The electrical interface isprovided via one or more connectors and includes means for electricalcontrol of the waveguide(s), fibers of the energy source etc.

Reference is now made to FIG. 13, which illustrates schematically (notto scale) a non-limiting embodiment of a feedback mechanism according tothe present invention. In preferred embodiments, the feedback mechanismis incorporated into the printing head. A sensor array such as a CCD orCMOS (32) or any other suitable array, photo-detector, quad detector orother power detector is mounted in or on the head. In variousembodiments, the feedback mechanism may be integrated with the lightsource 33 or waveguide 35. Additionally or alternatively, it may bemounted external to the waveguide, for example, near the energy source34 or one or more additional energy sources 34 a. In preferredembodiments of the invention, the feedback mechanism is used tocalibrate and synchronize the printing head(s) and to provide processcontrol for processes such as printing, patterning, sintering, and/or UVcuring.

Reference is now made to FIG. 14, illustrating a non-limiting example ofa calibration sequence according to one embodiment of the invention. Themultiple heads are can be calibrated during assembly. The calibration isprovided by calibration targets that are pre-manufactured or printed bythe jetting head. The calibration is supported by the control system,electronic mechanism and software. The calibration output is saved andused by the application software. In the most preferred embodiments,each head can be calibrated independently with sufficient accuracy tosupport calibration of the multi-technology head. In preferredembodiments of the invention, the calibration mechanism that calibratesthe printing head is based on the feedback obtained by the feedbackmechanism. In the system herein disclosed, calibration and registrationtargets can be pre-prepared on the printed platform or printed by thejetting mechanism and acquired by the feedback mechanism by anyappropriate mechanism known in the art such as a sensor array, CCD,CMOS, etc.

An example of how the system disclosed in the present invention cancombine into a single systems functions which, in systems known in theart, are performed by separate instruments is illustrated in FIG. 15.The figure illustrates schematically sintering and printing modules of asystem according to one embodiment of the invention disclosed herein.Each module comprises an x-y scanner (23 a and 23 b, respectively),optics (121 and 117, respectively), an operating mechanism (120 and 116,respectively), and energy transfer means such as a waveguide (118 and114, respectively). In the embodiment shown, both waveguides bring lightto their respective module from a single laser (not shown in thefigure), unlike systems known in the art, which would require twoseparate energy sources.

If the sintering is performed, for example, to produce a printedmaterial, the sintering will be geometry-dependent. The method ofsintering comprises steps of monitoring the printed substrate andproviding feedback to the system from the results of the monitoring,thereby measuring levels of sintering of the material in real time andon-line, and defining its physical dimensions. In one embodiment of theinvention, a first pass of the head measures the geometrical propertiesof the printed lines. Feedback R(x,y) as a function of power, and theenergy source in the sintering head is initiated. The sintering power iscontrollable and has various wave forms; energy can be raisedconstantly, in a high rise time method or other wave form. In this way,sintering time and sintering quality of the printed line are optimized.

Reference is now made to FIG. 16, which illustrates a non-limitingembodiment of the steps of a sintering process used by the systemdisclosed in the present invention. Data is received from feedbackmechanism 190 and from manufacturing data 191 provided to the system.The necessary system parameters are then calculated (192) from thesevalues. From prior knowledge of the material being sintered and itsdimensions, a power function P(x, y) is calculated and provided to thesintering module. The power function may also include parameters relatedto scanning, power, speed and other process parameters (194). Once thepower function is calculated, the energy source provides power to themodule, with the power supplied to the module when it is focused on anygiven point according to the power function.

The final form of the printed material is obtained by combiningprocesses of jetting and patterning. The process of jetting comprisesdepositing the donor material on a receiver substrate. Excess materialis then removed by use of the patterning head. Process steps such asablation of excess material are then performed, for example, by pulsingenergy from an energy source, a focusing and scanning it on the printedsubstrate. Non-limiting examples of process steps were given above (seeFIG. 11).

It is known in the art that various materials and inks are cured byenergy of UV wavelength. It is in the scope of the invention wherein theUV curing head is adapted to emit energy at a required predefinedwavelength to cure these inks. A feedback mechanism and a previouslyobtained pattern data are both utilizable in emitting energy at arequired location R(x,y). In preferred embodiments, the UV source is aUV diode, laser diode, UV LED, or UV lamp. Alternatively oradditionally, UV light can be distributed to the various curing headsvia a laser distribution mechanism (105), as discussed above.

In preferred embodiments of the system herein disclosed, modules withindependent functionalities are combined into a single LIFT system.Reference is now made to FIG. 17, schematically illustrating oneembodiment of such a system. The system illustrated in FIG. 17integrates four modules in a single head: a laser jetting head (112); alaser patterning head (111); a laser sintering head (110); and an UVcuring head (110 a).

According to one embodiment of the invention, a jetting head based onsubstrate-less laser induced forward transfer (SL-LIFT) comprises one ormore of the following: one or more pattering heads, one or more dryingheads, one or more sintering heads and one or more UV curing heads. Thecombined apparatus acts as a single device and interfaces the system asone integrated mechanism. The energy, material, electronics, control andother feedings to the apparatus are the same in a single and amulti-head system. It is in the scope of the invention wherein thesystem comprises one or more jetting heads with patterning abilities, ajetting head with sintering abilities; and a jetting head withpatterning abilities and sintering head, combination with an UV curinghead etc. A single or a plurality of energy sources is provided in thesystem according to the required application. Multiple material feedersof different substances are incorporable in the system according to arequired application.

Reference is now made to FIG. 18, illustrating a non-limiting example(not to scale) of a full LIFT system according to one embodiment of theinvention. The LIFT system may comprise any or all of LIFT, LD-LIFT, orSL-LIFT. The SL LIFT or LD LIFT or LIFT head prints patterns as 180, 180a and 180 b, a feedback mechanism as 181, 182 and/or 176 which acquiresthe shapes printed on the acceptor (178). The coordinates of the shapesand their dimensions are related to a x,y location relative to theprinted patterns (180, 180 a, 180 b) and relative to the x, y stage(179). The sintering, patterning or UV curing head (171), operatesaccording to the feedback parameters, and by controlling the laser orenergy source (170) and the scanning mechanism (173) and effectivesintering, patterning and curing is achieved. The source and detector ofthe feedback mechanism can be separated (181, 182) or integrated into asingle mechanism (176).

Reference is now made to FIG. 19, schematically illustrating (not toscale) the “local donor LIFT” (LD-LIFT) process of the present inventionand how it contrasts with the standard LIFT process known in the priorart. The standard LIFT process described above and illustrated in FIG.19A comprises a substrate (201), a donor material (202), and focusingelements (203). FIG. 19B illustrates schematically what in principlewould happen if the substrate were reduced in size to the point whereonly that part of the substrate and donor material heated by the laserremained (˜20 microns surrounding the laser spot). In such a case, thestandard LIFT process would continue to operate since the interactionbetween the energy source and the material 206 that is plated or coatedon the donor substrate 205, and the consequent LIFT process, will be thesame as in the standard prior art LIFT setup shown in FIG. 19A.

Reference is now made to FIG. 19C, which illustrates schematically oneembodiment of the present invention, in which donor material 215 isembedded in or is part of the reservoir or flows through it. Thefundamental physical interaction between the energy source and the donormaterial will thus be the same as that shown in FIG. 19B and hence thesame as in the standard LIFT shown in FIG. 19A, demonstrating that aLIFT process will occur under conditions in which the material residesin or flows through the reservoir, even lacking a donor substrate. Thisprocess is referred to herein as “Local Donor LIFT” (LD-LIFT).

The invention herein disclosed incorporates introduction of the localdonor or donors into a reservoir (215), which continues to support astandard LIFT mechanism, thus deriving a “local donor LIFT” method andsystems thereof. Reservoir (215) may incorporate a flow of material,thereby refreshing the local donor (205) and enabling high frequency andcontinuous printing.

While the preceding disclosure has emphasized those embodiments of thesystem and methods herein disclosed that are most relevant to printingtechnology, production of medical devices via LD-LIFT and/or SL-LIFT isalso within the scope of the invention. Reference is made now to FIG.20, schematically illustrating a system comprising a micro-tube LIFTdistribution mechanism, an illumination source, a feedback mechanism,all embedded or otherwise incorporated in a tubular medical device.Illumination source (110) is selected from a LED, SLED, laser diode orany other illumination source which emits light into a fiber or a bundleof fibers, thereby and illuminating an area that the material isdeposited to. This arrangement feedbacks sensor (111) to position, andprovides accuracy and high yields in deposition of the materialdistributed by micro-tube (109). Reservoir (109) is embedded into, influid connection with, or otherwise incorporated to the medical device.An additional energy source (102 a) functions as either feedbackmechanism or a heating mechanism is transferred through the waveguide oralternatively, through an additional waveguide, and submerged in thematerial stored in the reservoir.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, it further comprises meansfor moving each waveguide along its longitudinal axis. Non-limitingexamples of such means include piezoelectric, magnetic, andmicroelectromechanical systems (MEMS). In some embodiments of theinvention, these means are configured to be able to translate thewaveguide(s) entirely out of the reservoir(s).

It is lastly in the scope of the invention wherein a system as definedin any of the above comprises a camera monitor to support registering,calibrating and monitoring of the printing, patterning and sinteringprocess.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for performing substratelessand/or local donor Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT), wherein saidsystem comprises: a reservoir (9) comprising at least one opening; and,an energy source configured to deliver energy to a donor material withinsaid reservoir and thereby initiate a LIFT process.
 2. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said energy source comprises at least onesource selected from the group consisting of a laser; a heatingfilament; an electric arc; and an electronic resistance mechanism. 3.The system according to claim 2, wherein said energy source is a pulsedlaser.
 4. The system according to claim 1, additionally comprisingenergy transfer means (8) for transferring energy from said energysource to a donor material within said reservoir.
 5. The systemaccording to claim 4, wherein said energy source comprises a laser andsaid energy transfer means comprises a waveguide.
 6. The systemaccording to claim 5, additionally comprising a waveguide positioningsystem selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric system, amagnetic system, and a microelectromechanic al system (MEMS).
 7. Thesystem according to claim 5, comprising at least one additional opticalelement in optical communication with a light beam passing through saidwaveguide.
 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said additionaloptical element is selected from the group consisting of lenses,mirrors, filters, scanning elements, and optical coatings.
 9. The systemaccording to claim 8, wherein said optical element is disposed at adistal end of said waveguide.
 10. The system according to claim 1,additionally comprising cleaning means for cleaning at least one of saidwaveguide and said energy source.
 11. The system according to claim 1,additionally comprising temperature regulating means for regulatingtemperature of material within said reservoir.
 12. The system accordingto claim 11, wherein said temperature regulating means are selected fromthe group consisting of an electric current passing through at least onewall of said reservoir; thermoelectric heater; thermoelectric cooler;Peltier module; irradiation by a CW laser; irradiation by a quasi-CWlaser; irradiation by a pulsed laser; and heat pipes.
 13. The systemaccording to claim 1, additionally comprising surface shape controllingmeans for controlling a surface shape of said material.
 14. The systemaccording to claim 13, wherein said surface shape controlling means areselected from the group consisting of electro-wetting, coating, heatingof a reservoir wall surrounding said opening, and any combinationthereof.
 15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said systemcomprises a plurality of energy sources.
 16. The system according toclaim 1, wherein said system comprises a plurality of energy transfermeans.
 17. The system according to claim 1, additionally comprisingadjustment means for adjusting the size of said opening.
 18. The systemaccording to claim 1, additionally comprising preheating means forpreheating material within said reservoir.
 19. The system according toclaim 18, wherein said preheating means are selected from the groupconsisting of CW lasers and quasi-CW lasers.
 20. The system according toclaim 4, additionally comprising a plurality of energy transfer meansand energy distribution means for distributing output of said energysource among said plurality of energy transfer means.
 21. The systemaccording to claim 1, additionally comprising a rotatable cylinder (20)disposed within said reservoir such that said rotatable cylinder is incontact with said donor material and such that energy from said energysource is deposited on an interior surface of said rotatable cylinder.22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said rotatable cylinder istransparent.
 23. The system according to claim 21, additionallycomprising a scanning mechanism (23), said scanning mechanism disposedto accept energy from said energy source to direct at least a portion ofsaid energy to a predetermined spot on a surface of said cylinder. 24.The system according to claim 23, wherein said scanning mechanism isselected from the group consisting of Galvo, MEMS, and micro mirrors.25. The system according to claim 21, comprising a folding and scanningmirror and focusing optics, said mirror and optics disposed within saidcylinder so as to focus energy from said energy source onto a spot on asurface of said cylinder opposite to said opening.
 26. The systemaccording to claim 21, wherein said rotatable cylinder is translatableto a position that closes said opening.
 27. The system according toclaim 21, additionally comprising an intermediate plate of thermallyconducting material is coated on said cylinder.
 28. The system accordingto claim 1, additionally comprising at least one printing head in fluidconnection with said reservoir.
 29. The system according to claim 28,wherein said reservoir is disposed within said printing head.
 30. Thesystem according to claim 28, additionally comprising a local energysource in each of said printing heads, said local energy sourcecomprising a gain mechanism.
 31. The system according to claim 28,additionally comprising a distributor configured to distribute materialin a method selected from the group consisting of substrateless LIFT andlocal donor LIFT.
 32. The system according to claim 1, wherein saidenergy source is a pulsed laser, and additionally comprising laserparameter controlling means for controlling at least one laser parameterselected from the group consisting of pulse width, pulse repetitionfrequency, pulse power, and pulse shape.
 33. The system according toclaim 4, wherein said energy transfer means is coated with a hydrophobiccoating.
 34. The system according to claim 21, wherein at least oneselected from the group consisting of said energy distribution means andat least one of said energy transfer means is coated with a hydrophobiccoating.
 35. The system according to claim 4, additionally comprising anintermediate plate of thermally conductive material disposed at a distalend of said energy transfer means.
 36. The system according to claim 5,wherein said waveguide additionally comprises a graded index element.37. The system according to claim 1, additionally comprising flow meansfor providing a continuous flow of material through said reservoir. 38.The system according to claim 1, additionally comprising a feedbackmechanism that supports at least one of calibration, synchronization,alignment, and process control of said system.
 39. The system accordingto claim 38, wherein said feedback mechanism comprises at least onecomponent selected from the group consisting of a sensor, array ofsensors, cameras, a source and detector, and any combination thereof.40. The system according to claim 1, additionally comprising alignmentscrews disposed to provide θ_(x), θ_(y), and θ_(z) alignment.
 41. Thesystem according to claim 1, additionally comprising a sensor thatacquires a printed target that has been printed on a different system ora target printed by this system in the same session.
 42. The systemaccording to claim 1, comprising a sensor configured to measure at leastone parameter of material printed by said system, and provides feedbackto at least one system selected from the group consisting of processcontrol, sintering, and curing.
 43. The system according to claim 1,wherein said reservoir is constructed of a material compatible with anacidic donor material.
 44. A multi-component LIFT system for printing,sintering, cleaning, curing, and patterning, comprising at least oneprinting head selected from the group consisting of a printing head thatoperates by substrateless LIFT; a printing head that operates by localdonor LIFT; and at least one additional head selected from the groupconsisting of a sintering head and a UV curing head.